The Bears are South Region’s No. 3 seed and were expected to advance to the Sweet 16, but the Gaels are arguably the biggest surprise of the postseason. The No. 10 seed dominated 7th-seeded Richmond and then edged No. 2 Villanova to set up the showdown, capturing the attention and affection of fans across the nation along the way.

Baylor is poised to put an end to this feel-good story, though. It has the size and talent to give Saint Mary’s fits. With Ekpe Udoh down low, the going will be much tougher for Gaels’ big man Omar Samhan, the most dominant player in the tournament to date. And the explosive backcourt of LaceDarius Dunn and Tweety Carter could very well prove to be too much for the WCC tournament champs.

Make no mistake: The Bears are favored for a reason. And with the game in nearby Houston giving them a likely home-court advantage, even though they might not be used to that role, it might not matter.

After a first half that saw them holding a slim four-point lead, the Bears came out blazing to start the second period, eventually outscoring the Cyclones by 17. LaceDarius Dunn led the charge with a game-high 21 points, and Ekpe Udoh played like a man inside to the tune of 19 points, 10 rebounds and five blocks. Baylor outrebounded Iowa State 28-11 in the second half.

Baylor hits the road for another Big 12 matchup on Saturday, this time against the Texas A&M Aggies, who are a half-game ahead of the Bears in the conference at 5-3. Both teams figure to be fighting for an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament, so stealing a win on the road would go a long way towards separating themselves from this particular fellow bubble team.